Yet, they call what happened Sunday as Pens players sticking up for each other.

Yep, that's what head hunters do.

I will continue to be amused by the excuses.

Relax on the Pirates' start.

They have the toughest schedule in April, something that would never happen in the NFL.

I am far from a Pirates apologist, but give them a chance. I understand 3-6 is not 6-3, but it's not 0-9 and all losses by blowouts.

They are actually fun to watch.

I get that their offense so far is anemic right now, but it's not like they are facing Thing 1 and Thing 2 on the mound.

According to a story by Gary Buiso in the New York Post, NFL fans who are kicked out of games will be required to pass a code-of-conduct exam or they will not be allowed to step foot back in the stadium.

After the ejection, the fans must pay a $75 fee to take a four-hour cyber class and must get at least 70 percent of the questions correct to pass.

In today's high school's, that 70 percent is a D.

So, stupid fans must continue to remain stupid (getting a D) in order to get back into an NFL game?

According to the article, "about 25 fans are ejected from every Jet and Giant game - about 500 rowdies a year."

The class, at www.fanconductclass.com, will cover the following topics: course introduction; stadium "Code of Conduct"; alcohol abuse risk factors; patterns of alcohol abuse; the cost of abuse and addiction of alcohol; what is disruptive fan behavior?; understanding the effect one has on the fan experience; gaining control of ourselves; how alcohol effects the brain; central nervous system and internal organs; risk factors for men and women and underage drinkers; understanding the differences between use, abuse, addiction, relapse and prevention; skills for becoming less impulsive and improving judgment; communication skills as prevention; skills in stress management; and resources for finding help.

Since 40 percent of the topics involve alcohol abuse, isn't the issue a little deeper than being an idiotic fan?

What about some sort of zero-tolerance stance and once the fan is kicked out, it is for the next calendar year?

Here is what the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference baseball semifinals Saturday look like right now with Wednesday the cutoff date.

All sites have doubleheaders with games at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and times are to be determined.

Class 4A at Union Local: Harrison Central and East Liverpool are battling for fourth place. Edison, St. Clairsville and Steubenville are in a fight for the top three spots. Big Red plays at Edison Tuesday and at John Marshall Wednesday. Edison visits Martins Ferry Wednesday after hosting the Purple Riders on Monday. St. Clairsville hosts Bellaire Monday, visits Weir High Tuesday and goes to Bellaire Wednesday.

Class 3A at Bridgeport: Buckeye Trail and Bellaire, it appears, have the top two spots locked. Shenandoah, Barnesville, Martins Ferry and Magnolia will battle for the final two spots.

Class 2A at Toronto: Linsly, Toronto, Steubenville Catholic Central and Shadyside are Nos. 1-4, but final spots will be determined this week.

Class 1A at John Marshall: Madonna and Bishop Donahue are the class of the field. The other two slots will be taken by Valley, Conotton Valley, Morgantown Trinity Christian or St. John Central.

The rain date is one week from today.

The championships will be at Vaccaro Field with Classes 1A and 2A on April 27 at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Classes 3A, 4A and 5A on April 28 with games at 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m., respectively.

The OVAC softball playoffs cutoff date is Saturday.

The semifinals will be held April 25 with times and sites to be determined.

The championships are slated for April 28 at the I-470 Complex with games at 10:30 a.m., 12:15 p.m., 2 p.m., 3:45 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., starting with Class 1A.

Steubenville Big Red and West Virginia University graduate Liz Repella was honored at the Franciscan University of Steubenville's 45th-annual Century Club Dinner Saturday.

She is playing basketball at Universitario de Ferrol in the Spanish League. The team is 16-8 and in fourth place.

Repella is averaging 31.8 minutes, 13.6 points and 7.5 assists a game. She is shooting 54.8 percent from the floor, 43.1 percent from beyond the arc and 75.8 percent from the free throw line.

The Chicago Bears picked former wide receiver David Terrell No. 8 in 2001 and, according to the Chicago Sun-Times, he is being charged with domestic battery and is being held on a $10,000 bond.

It is reported that Terrell grabbed a former girlfriend during an argument and she had bruises on her arms, neck and chest. He allegedly threatened to throw her off of a balcony.

He played five seasons in the NFL.

Why can't people just be good at any age?

Ask Ryan Leaf?

Kobe Bryant and Derrick Rose were benched recently.

Not a popular or easy decision for the coaches, but they did it.

So, if your son or daughter was been benched recently, or will be benched in the future - deal with it.

It is not the death of them, nor will it kill the team.

It's a benching.

I have said and will always say that if John Wooden was willing to kick Bill Walton off the basketball team at UCLA, then it is OK for your kid to be benched.

OHSAA going to seven divisions in football will just help aid the coffers. The cash cow will get bigger in 2013 by 32 teams.

Of course, if the OHSAA wants to make more money, it will allow the top seeds to play the first two games at home instead of just one.

I believe ticket sales will increase and the organization won't have to pay rent in the second round.

The regional championship should be played at a neutral site, but what is wrong with the home teams making a little bit of money, other than the 20 percent the schools get off the sale of tickets sold at the school?

(Mathison, a Weirton resident, is the sports editor of the Herald-Star and The Weirton Daily Times and can be contacted at mmathison@heraldstaronline.com).